Tape cartridge and reader

ABSTRACT

A tape cartridge or magazine and reading apparatus therefore are provided wherein tape in the cartridge may be driven past a plurality of transducers supported by a mount for the cartridge when the cartridge is predeterminately located on said mount. The cartridge contains an opening exposing a length of the recording tape to a bank of transducers. In one form, the transducers comprise a plurality of switches arranged in parallel circuits which are made and broken when perforations in the tape are sensed by the switches. In another form, recordings on the tape are sensed by respective transducers disposed off the tape as it is driven therepast. Suitable tape tensioning means associated with the mount is operative after properly mounting the cartridge to engage and predeterminately provide tension in the tape driven past the bank of transducers. In another form of the invention recording is effected on the tape and cartridge by a bank of transducers operative to punch holes in the tape as it is driven therepast.



1. Tape transducing apparatus comprising in combination with a cartridge containing recording tape and means therein for supplying and taking up tape, an opening in said cartridge, means for guiding said tape past said opening, a support for said cartridge including tape transducing means and means operative to longitudinally drive said tape past said transducing means, tape engaging means operative after mounting said cartridge on said support for engaging the portion of the tape extending across the opening therein and drawing said portion away from said cartridge, a tape tensioning means mounted on said support, means moving said tape engaging means to carry tape engaged thereby into alignment with said tape tensioning means to couple said tape and said tape tensioning means, means for driving said tape in a path defined in part by said tape tensioning means and operating said tensioning means to control the tension of said tape.
 2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said tape tensioning means includes a vacuum chamber having an opening for receiving said tape, means applying vacuum to said chamber to cause a loop portion of said tape carried bY said tape engaging means to be drawn into said chamber, said chamber being shaped to define a sliding seal with the edges of the loop of tape disposed therein while permitting the longitudinal movement of said tape through said chamber under tension defined by said vacuum in said column.
 3. Tape transducing apparatus comprising in combination with a cartridge containing recording tape and means therein for supplying and taking up tape, an opening in said cartridge, means for guiding said tape past said opening, a support for said cartridge including tape transducing means and means operative to longitudinally drive said tape past said transducing means, tape engaging means operative after mounting said cartridge on said support for engaging the portion of the tape extending across the opening therein and drawing said portion away from said cartridge, and a tape slack chamber having an opening for receiving tape mounted on said support, said tape engaging means including a first wheel operative to engage the rear face of said tape and second wheel means disposed in alignment with said chamber opening, means for moving said wheel into alignment with said tape slack chamber and engaging said tape between said first and second wheels, and means operative to rotate one of said wheels for driving a quantity of said tape into said chamber to serve as a slack portion from which may be drawn tape when said tape is longitudinally driven past said transducing means.
 4. A tape storage and transducing assembly comprising: a tape cartridge including a housing having substantially parallel sidewalls and end walls joined to said sidewalls, an opening in an end wall of said housing; supply and takeup means within said housing for multichannel tape; means for guiding and moving said tape longitudinally past said opening; a support for said cartridge having means for removably holding and operatively positioning said housing on a sidewall of said support; guide means for guiding said cartridge in a direction normal to said sidewall of said support; drive means secured to said support and operative to become coupled to drive said tape when said cartridge is operatively positioned on said support; a plurality of transducers, a mount for supporting said transducers in a bank in side-by-side relationship on said sidewall of said support; said mount positioning said transducers to permit sliding engagement of the tape and transducers during movement of said cartridge normal to said surface to an operative position on said support.
 5. A tape storage and transducing assembly comprising: a tape cartridge including a housing having substantially parallel sidewalls and end walls joined to said sidewalls, an opening in an end wall of said housing; supply and takeup means within said housing for multichannel tape, means for guiding and moving said tape longitudinally past said opening, a support for said cartridge having means for removably holding and operatively positioning said housing on a sidewall of said support, guide means for guiding said cartridge in a direction parallel to said common surface of said support in movement of said cartridge towards its operative position; drive means secured to said support and operative to become coupled to drive said tape when said cartridge is operatively positioned on said support; a plurality of transducers, a mount for supporting said transducers as a bank in side-by-side relationship on said sidewall of said support and positioning said transducers to permit sliding engagement of the tape and the transducers with the tape being tensionally drawn against the transducers when said tape cartridge is in said operative position.
 6. A tape storage and transducing assembly in accordance with claim 5, including a rotary mount for said tape in said cartridge having a hub accessible to said sidewall of said support when said cartridge is in the operative position on said support, said driVe means including a rotatable shaft and means for rotating said shaft, means for moving said shaft from a retracted position whereby said shaft is out of the way of said cartridge and permits the sliding movement of a cartridge along said guide means into operative relationship with said transducers, to a projected position whereby engagement is made between said drive means and said hub to permit powered rotation of the hub and the driving of said tape in said cartridge by said drive means.
 7. A tape storage and transducing assembly comprising: a tape cartridge including a housing having substantially parallel sidewalls and end walls joined to said sidewalls; an opening in said end wall of said housing; supply and takeup means within said housing for a multichannel tape; means for guiding and moving said tape longitudinally past said opening; a support for said cartridge having means for removably holding and operatively positioning said cartridge on a sidewall of said support; drive means secured to said support and operative to become coupled to drive said tape when said cartridge is operatively positioned on said support; a plurality of punches, means for supporting said punches in side-by-side relationship on said support in positions to permit each punch to engage a separate channel of said multicircuit channel tape for recording data in the form of holes punched in said tape; and a backing plate positioned adjacent the rear surface of said tape in alignment with said opening in said cartridge to cooperate with said punches and facilitate the punching of said tape when said cartridge is operatively positioned on said support.
 8. A tape storage and transducing assembly comprising: a tape cartridge having a housing having sidewalls and end walls joined to said sidewalls; an opening in an end wall of said housing; supply and takeup means within said housing for flexible recording tape; means for guiding and moving said tape longitudinally past said opening; a base for supporting said cartridge including means for removably holding and operatively positioning said cartridge on said base; drive means secured to said base and operative to become coupled to drive said tape when said cartridge is operatively positioned on said base; transducing means mounted on said support and located so as to be out of coupling relationship with the tape disposed adjacent the opening in said housing when said cartridge is operatively held on said base; and means supported by said base, for engaging the portion of said tape extending across said opening in said cartridge and withdrawing said tape outwardly from said cartridge housing into engagement with said transducing means to operatively couple the tape with the transducing means.
 9. An assembly in accordance with claim 8, said means for engaging said portion of said tape extending across said opening comprising a plurality of reciprocally mounted roller members supported by said cartridge support, and means for moving said roller members in a direction to permit said roller members to engage said tape and maintain said tape taut by drawing and taking up slack in the tape.
 10. An assembly in accordance with claim 8, said means supported by said cartridge base for engaging said portion of said tape extending across said opening in said cartridge wall being operative to engage spaced-apart portions of said tape and drawn a portion of said tape out of said housing while other portions of said tape in said housing remain connected to said tape supply and takeup means.
 11. A tape storage and transducing assembly comprising: a tape cartridge having a housing with sidewalls and end walls joined to said sidewalls; an opening in an end wall of said housing, supply and takeup means for a flexible record tape having a plurality of record tracks extending parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis of the tape and each provided with code recordingS composed of spaced apart holes cut in the tape; means for guiding and moving said tape longitudinally past said opening; a support for said cartridge having means for removably holding and predeterminately positioning said housing on a sidewall of said support; drive means secured to said support and operative to become coupled to drive said tape when said cartridge is operatively positioned on said support; a plurality of transducers; a mount for supporting said transducers in side-by-side relationship opposite the opening in said end wall of said cartridge when the cartridge is predeterminately positioned by said holding means on said support; each of said transducers comprising a separate switch having a respective spring biased switch arm protruding outwardly from the switch a degree such that when said cartridge is predeterminately positioned by said holding means on said support, said switch arms will each be compressed against the surface of the tape and will operatively project through the holes in the tape as the tape is driven therepast so as to effect the making and breaking of the circuits associated with each switch to thereby generate information in the form of electrical codes.
 12. A tape storage and transducing assembly comprising: a tape cartridge having a housing with sidewalls and end walls joined to said sidewalls; an opening in an end wall of said housing; an opening in a sidewall of said housing adjacent said end wall opening; supply and takeup means for a flexible record tape having a plurality of record tracks extending parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis of the tape and each provided with code recordings composed of spaced apart holes cut in the tape; means for guiding and moving said tape longitudinally past said opening in said end wall of said housing; a support for said cartridge having means for removably holding and predeterminately positioning said housing on a sidewall of said support; drive means secured to said support and operative to become coupled to drive said tape when said cartridge is operatively positioned on said support; a plurality of transducers; a mount for supporting said transducers in side-by-side relationship in alignment with the opening in the end wall of said cartridge when the cartridge is predeterminately positioned by said holding means on said support; each of said transducers comprising a separate photoelectric cell located on said mount so as to become aligned with a separate track of the tape when the cartridge is predeterminately positioned by said holding means on said support; a light source located on said base such that it will pass through said opening in the sidewall of said cartridge when the cartridge is predeterminately positioned on said support by said holding means and will be positioned behind said tape so as to pass light through the openings in said tape as they become aligned with said light source and respective of said photoelectric cells for energizing and deenergizing said photoelectric cells as the tape is driven past the opening.
 13. A tape storage and transducing assembly in accordance with claim 8 including additional means comprising auxiliary guide means for said tape supported by said base for guiding said tape in its movement towards and away from said transducing means.
 14. A tape storage and transducing assembly in accordance with claim 13 wherein said auxiliary guide means comprises a plurality of separate guide members other than said means for engaging said portion of said tape extending across said opening in said cartridge and withdrawing said tape outwardly from said cartridge.
 15. A tape storage and transducing assembly in accordance with claim 14 wherein said auxiliary guide means are disposed along said path of movement of said tape past said transducing means in advance of said transducing means and beyond said transducing means to respectively receive and guide tape in movement towards and against said transducing means and in movement from said transducing means in a path back into said cartridge housing.
 16. A tape storage and transducing assembly in accordance with claim 13 wherein said auxiliary guide means comprises at least two rollers which are rotationally supported by said base and are each adapted to receive and guide tape drawn by said means for withdrawing said tape from said cartridge housing.
 17. A tape storage and transducing assembly in accordance with claim 14 wherein said means for engaging a portion of said tape extending across said opening in said cartridge housing comprises a power operated tape engaging means movable from a position behind said tape extending across said opening in said cartridge housing into engagement with the rear face of said tape and then in a path to predeterminately draw said tape into engagement with both said auxiliary guide means and said transducing means.
 18. A tape storage and transducing assembly in accordance with claim 17 including a power rotated capstan supported by said base, said tape engaging means operable to urge said tape against said capstan when said tape is drawn thereby against said transducing means to permit said capstan to drive said tape longitudinally past said transducing means. 